After the federal government shutdown left about 90,000 people in Marion and Polk counties who rely on government food assistance without benefits, Salem City Council voted unanimously Nov. 10 to make a $20,000 donation to Marion Polk Food Share.
Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, is a federal program that provides low-income families with monthly benefits to afford healthy food. In Oregon, 54% of SNAP participants are in families with children, 37% are older adults or people with disabilities and 41% are working families.
The suspension of assistance resulted in families scrambling to find food or choosing between paying rent or buying groceries, advocates say…